Golf Improvement

The Desire for More Distance

Take a look this weekend at the players playing at the Greenbrier. They make it look easy don’t they? The powerful swings launching drives well over 300 yards with ease and grace seem so effortless and smooth. In actuality it’s a violent display of force, torque and speed.

So what does the average player do when they want to hit the ball further? They swing harder and faster in an attempt to do just that. The problem is that the amateur golfer equates the desire to hit the ball further with swinging their arms harder. Unfortunately when swinging their arms harder tension is created.When tension is created, the hands and arms get tighter, causing them to slow down.The exact opposite of the desired affect is achieved.

Another thing that happens when wanting to swing harder is the backswing tends to get too long. The left arm will collapse when taken too far back, and when that happens in order to correct that collapse a player must cast the club to return it back to the proper position. But when that happens the club will invariably release too soon, expending too much energy much too soon and slowing the club down through impact.

So how does one create more distance while “swinging harder”? It starts with what may seem counter-intuitive to most. Think of a figure skater when performing a spin, when they want to spin faster they get tighter and more contained. When they want to slow down they put their arms out and they slow down. The same concept applies to the golf swing. Just as a figure skater uses their core and legs to generate speed and power, a golfer must use their core and legs to create energy.

Speed, power and ultimately distance starts in the legs and core muscles. The arms ideally should stay close to the body, while trailing behind the legs. By letting the legs and lower body generate the speed and power and letting the arms follow. The more relaxed and compact a player can keep their body while keeping their lower body moving quickly the better chance they have of keeping the club on plane, squaring it up at impact with increased club head speed.

The next time you’re out at the range; take a casual glance at players around you. When the driver comes out of the bag, watch what their arms do. If they start to get away from their bodies and they look like they’re off balance, then chances are they are swinging with their arms and will lose distance and accuracy. Conversely, look at the players on TV over the weekend and keep an eye on their lower bodies and how their arms follow, creating lag and power at impact.

Go Here for an in-depth analysis of Tiger’s Swing

Read More from Tim at his golf blog, LifeFromTheShortGrass.com